A Worshiping Bird
I spread out my hands to you; my soul thirsts for you like a parched land. Selah. (Psalm 143:6)
Ever since we moved into our new house on the lake, I’ve enjoyed watching the cormorants this time of year, especially when they pose on the dock, wings outstretched. For a long time I’ve wanted to capture this scene on camera, and today I finally succeeded in snapping a photo for you.
The first time I observed a cormorant in its spread-winged pose, I was surprised by how long it remained immobile. “Come look at this bird,” I called to my husband, “it’s worshiping!”
I learned that their striking pose has a practical purpose. Despite spending much time in the water, cormorants do not possess the waterproofing oil of other seabirds and so must spend much time drying their wings.
Interestingly, these birds are a common feature in heraldry and medieval ornamentation, most often depicted in their “wing-drying” pose, seen as representing the Christian cross. For example, the Norwegian municipalities of Røst, Loppa and Skjervøy have cormorants in their coat-of-arms. Apparently people have always seen something special about these birds.
Psalm 48 says, “Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all ocean depths…small creatures and flying birds… If you’re ever privileged to observe cormorants, it will appear that they heed this Psalm.
I wonder if God created these birds to serve as a gentle reminder of the worship due Him. Whenever I look out my window and see a cormorant lifting its wings heavenward, my heart flies to the Lord with praise, honor and glory.
The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it…(Psalm 24:1)
Cormorant Facts:
Cormorants, also known as shags, are medium-to-large seabirds. The majority, including nearly all Northern Hemisphere species, have mainly dark plumage, but some Southern Hemisphere species are black and white, and a few are quite colorful. The bill is long, thin, and sharply hooked. Their feet are four-toed and webbed.
They are coastal rather than oceanic birds, and some colonize inland waters. All are fish-eaters, dining on small eels, fish, and even water snakes. They dive from the surface, though many species make a characteristic half-jump as they dive, presumably to give themselves a more streamlined entry into the water. Under water they propel themselves with their feet. Some cormorant species have been found, using depth gauges, to dive as deep as 45 meters. After fishing, cormorants go ashore and are frequently seen holding their wings out in the sun; it is assumed that this is to dry them. Unusual for a water bird, their feathers are not waterproofed. This may help them dive quickly, since their feathers do not retain air bubbles.
Cormorants are colonial nesters, using trees, rocky islets, or cliffs. The eggs are a chalky-blue color. There is usually one brood a year. The young are fed through regurgitation. They typically have deep, ungainly bills which make it obvious that they are related to pelicans.
Humans have historically exploited cormorants’ fishing skills in China, Japan, and Macedonia, where they have been trained by fishermen. A snare is tied near the base of the bird’s throat, which allows the bird only to swallow small fish. When the bird captures and tries to swallow a large fish, the fish is caught in the bird’s throat. When the bird returns to the fisherman’s raft, the fisherman helps the bird to remove the fish from its throat.